’Why are they calling each other Seniors?’ Liam wondered. ’Shouldn’t the other be the Junior?’
Sadly, that was only the beginning of Liam’s confusion.
’Why are they revealing their martial arts?’ Liam thought. ’Aren’t they supposed to be a secret?’
Liam could actually put that doubt aside due to the tournament’s demonstrative purpose, but the pleasantries it featured delivered a deadly blow to his understanding.
’And what’s with all these compliments?!’ Liam cursed. ’Are they fighting or making friends? Is this how cultivators introduce themselves? But how is anyone supposed to understand who’s stronger like that?’
Among the audience, the red cultivators were eager, Melissa had already lost interest, and Joel was speechless. Only Randall understood what was going on since he had seen how far Liam’s idiocy stretched.
"Junior Brother," Randall whispered, approaching Liam. "Just go there, announce your Seismic Palm, perform it, and bow."
Liam’s frown only deepened at Randall’s suggestion, creating a new doubt.
"Why are you helping me now?" Liam asked.
"Because I don’t want your social ineptitude to lose us this opportunity!" Randall cursed, annoyed, but also making his suggestion sound more trustworthy.
’This place must be truly worthwhile for him to play so nicely,’ Liam considered, nodding and stepping into the empty area between the two groups.
"I’m Liam," Liam announced, bowing. "I’ll use the Pale Moon Sect’s Seismic Palm."
"Brother Liam is my team’s fighting expert," Joel added, ignoring how Liam hadn’t let him handle the introductions.
"It’s good we only have our defense expert left," Cecilia announced. "Brother Jason, please."
The third red foundation expert stepped forward. He was quite unassuming, neither tall nor short, with slightly messy brown hair and a stern expression that shone with confidence.
"Senior Liam, it’s an honor," Jason exclaimed, bowing. "I will rely on the Crimson Warrior Sect’s Earthen Veins to defend myself."
Jason quickly broke his bow and lowered his arms, vast amounts of Qi rushing through his body. His red robe hid most of the effects, but black spiderwebs expanded on his exposed hands and face, as if his blood vessels had turned into a barrier.
"Please," Jason continued. "Senior, hit me with your Seismic Palm."
The rules of engagement were quite clear. There was no mistaking them, but Liam remained confused, albeit for a different reason.
"Senior Brother," Liam called, turning toward Joel while pointing at Jason. "Doesn’t he have to help with the mission? He will die if I hit him."
Joel’s brown eyes went wide. He tried to scold Liam with a glare, only for his gaze to snap at the other group.
"I apologize for my Junior Brother," Joel promptly bowed to the red cultivators. "He has only been in the Sect for a month. He still doesn’t know how to conduct himself or control his strength."
Liam blinked in confusion. He searched for Randall’s face, only to see that he had hidden it behind his hand. Instead, Melissa was of no help at all since she had already looked away.
Only the red cultivators’ stiff expressions provided some clues, which partially explained the strange development.
’Did I say something insulting?’ Liam wondered.
Luckily, Cecilia was more interested in seeing the famous nine-spiritual-roots genius in action than feeling offended by careless words.
"No need to apologize, Joel," Cecilia intervened. "Your Junior Brother was only concerned about Brother Jason’s safety. I’m sure we can find another way."
Cecilia shot a meaningful look at Jason, and the latter nodded, retracting his Qi, his face and hands losing those black spiderwebs.
"I can apply the Earthen Veins to the environment," Jason revealed. "Senior Liam, watch."
Jason kneeled and placed his palms on the ground, sending his Qi into it and causing a reaction. Rocks and soil moved, rising in front of him to create a two-meter-tall rectangular wall.
’That’s cool,’ Liam exclaimed in his mind, sensing the Qi running through that wall. That was no ordinary surface, but he was far more curious than wary.
"Please, Senior Liam," Jason invited, remaining on the ground. "Showcase your Seismic Palm here."
Liam nodded, stepping toward the wall, before turning to address Joel again. "So, I just need to break this thing?"
Randall felt like burying his head in the ground or ripping his hair in exasperation upon hearing those words. Liam truly didn’t know when to shut up, but he wasn’t Randall’s problem to handle.
"If you can," Joel confirmed, stiffness in his friendly smile as he tried to make up for that impoliteness. "Junior Brother might not sense it, but that’s no ordinary wall. I’m sure our fellow cultivators from the Crimson Warrior Sect would be satisfied already if you could crack it."
’Just cracking it?’ Liam wondered. ’But Master said I have to show that I’m not to be messed with.’
Among those doubts, Liam decided to side with his Master. So, he placed his right palm on the sturdy wall before summoning his Qi.
The Seismic Palm could provide more than explosive power. That was its simplest and most immediate application. Yet, the martial art had another side, which was what had earned it its name.
Instead of unleashing a blunt wave of Qi and a straightforward palm strike, Liam gathered his energy in his palm, forcing it to tremble, and built momentum.
Nothing happened until Liam decided to release that built-up energy, and the wall didn’t just crack. It exploded outward, its many shards flying at his speed past the kneeling Jason and the red group.
Even Melissa turned toward the scene at that point, wearing a far more emotionless version of the speechless perplexity that had descended upon the audience. Everyone forgot about the previous exchange of words, focusing on the remaining broken base of the wall before looking at Liam in disbelief.
Clearly, Liam had gone overboard. Social rules demanded that he held back to give his opponent face instead of humiliating him.
However, Liam just lowered his hand and studied the wall’s base in confusion, showing no exhaustion or the slightest trace of struggle. His superior attack had looked effortless, as if it were the most ordinary and natural aspect of his fighting skills.
"I should compliment Jason and call him Senior now," Liam commented, looking back at Joel. "Right?"
"Please, Junior Brother," Randall answered instead, mustering a friendly smile born from the fear of considering what that attack would have accomplished against his Jade Skin. "We’ll all be grateful if you don’t speak ever again."